She Was Stolen for You
by Arella1
Summary: Time can be rewritten, especially if the first draft was complete rubbish. Rose goes a bit further in her dimension cannon days and finds out just how meddling the TARDIS can really be. The Doctor has a choice to make and the outcome could change their lives forever. Will he trust in Rose one last time?
1. In Which Something Strange Occurs

Rose appeared in a flash of bright light, running a few steps to slow her momentum. Unfortunately, that meant that she was propelled headlong into the unsuspecting person who was unlucky enough to be walking in front of her. Slamming forcefully into him, her forehead cracked against his and before she could groan in pain, her mind was suddenly hijacked.

Years of pain and loneliness and simply existing flooded her. Memories of the Medusa Cascade, a Metacrisis, Time Lord Victorious, The Master, four knocks, new face, Amelia Pond, Daleks, the Gangers, Melody Pond, River Song, the Last Centurion, Silence falling, Demons Run, Lake Silencio and so many more painful images painting a portrait of grief that threatened an already precarious grip on sanity.

Jerking back, Rose gasped and stared into anguished green eyes too old for the face they adorned.

"Doctor?" she sobbed, throwing her arms around him as if to protect him by the force of her will alone.

Shakily, his arms rose to embrace her tightly as he buried his face in her hair. "Oh, Rose, my precious girl. You're not supposed to be here. You've got the wrong me."

Hiccupping, she pulled back and wiped her eyes before studying him. Her brows shot up and her face went slack with surprise when she could finally see through the wetness clouding her vision.

"Doctor, why are you glowing?" she asked in confusion.

Blinking, he glanced down at himself and then back at her in concern. "Glowing? I'm not glowing. What'd you mean 'glowing'?" If he could just keep talking, he could put off thinking about having to say goodbye to her_ again_. It'd been so long. Surely, surely the universe could let him have just a few more moments with his pink and yellow human.

_One more day with your beloved. Which would you choose?_

Slowly, she reached out and touched one of the swirling lights around him. Inhaling sharply, he jolted and caught her hand. How had she done that?

"I mean, there are all these swirls and lines around you. It looks like you're glowing. And…and, I _saw_ you," she whispered, meeting his stunned gaze. "When we slammed into each other, I saw what's happened to you." It was almost too much to process. "Oh, God, I'm sorry!"

His reply was cut off when a burning pain ripped through her mind. Grabbing her head, she cried out as the flame spread like wildfire to every part of her psyche. The Doctor caught her when her knees gave out and her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Rose? Rose! What's happening? What's wrong?" he demanded, pulling out his sonic and scanning her frantically. Disturbingly, it couldn't get a read on her and that meant-in his experience-that things were very, very not good.

Breathing hard, she squeezed her eyes closed and clutched at him. "TARDIS," she managed as a familiar song began to temper the pain. It was barely enough to allow her to force the instruction out. She felt like acid was washing through every nerve ending and cell in her body. Screaming, her body began to convulse in seizures from the neural overload.

Not understanding, but terrified, the Doctor swept her up and ran as fast as he could to his fabulous blue box. The door swung open of its own accord as he rushed toward it. Once inside, however, all exits from the console room disappeared.

"What? What are you doing? I need to get her to the infirmary!" he begged as Rose, his beautiful out-of-Time Rose screamed in a way that would haunt him for years after. "_Please!_"

A tingling in his mind refused his request and urged him to the console. Helpless and more scared than he'd been in centuries, he followed the old girl's prompts. His own hands were shaking as Rose's pain elevated to a level that saturated the air around him. He could literally _feel_ her agony as her mind went supernova in want of help.

Gold light blazed from her eyes as she opened them and the panel protecting the Heart of the TARDIS slid away.

"No! Rose, that'll kill you," he protested, holding her shaking form tightly against his chest.

The TARDIS' urgings became fierce and demanding-pleading with him to trust her. Taking a fortifying breath, he nodded once and gently lay Rose down in front of the bright power. Pushing onto her side, the girl stared into the Heart and reached out her hand to touch it.

"Oh, I've missed you so," she whispered.

And somewhere a wolf was howling.

* * *

The energy of the Vortex and the TARDIS's Heart pulsed and surrounded Rose; a beautiful song of celebration filling their minds. The Doctor was entranced as the two women he loved the most communed with each other. He'd been centuries without Rose, but her impact on him had shaped his entire life. He'd never been able to put her out of mind which made him wonder if he'd missed something during that too short time he'd had her back. Once his companions left, he was always able to put them in a nice neat box in his mind. A fond memory would crop up now and again, but mostly it was like closing a book on one episode of his life and then moving on to the next. It had to be like that. He'd drive himself mad if he went about it any other way. Over a thousand years old, he'd loved and lost so many people. But-once they were gone-they were gone. Done. Finished.

As golden light began to flow from the blonde on the floor to the TARDIS and back again, the Doctor wondered how he would have the strength to let her go one more time. This pink and yellow girl who refused to be shunted aside or packed away. Rassilon, he'd missed her.

He broke out of his thoughts when the console's panel slid closed and Rose fell onto her back, panting hard. At her side immediately, he took her hand and brushed her hair away from her face. Fine tremors shook her frame, making him frown in worry. At least she was no longer screaming, he thought as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and tried again to scan her. The readings were inconclusive still which let a barbell freefall in his stomach.

"Rose?" he called softly and was rewarded with her hand gripping his in reply.

Releasing another breath, she opened her eyes. The familiar warm chocolate had lightened to a sharp golden. When she focused on him, she managed a tremulous smile. "This didn't happen in the original Timeline," she revealed faintly.

"No," he agreed, helping her sit and allowing her to lean against him when he saw that she was in no shape to support herself. She smelled like regulatory substances, Time, and something indescribably _Rose_. The aching loss and want of her hit him like a kick to the stomach. A muscle in his jaw ticked at the restraint he clamped down on himself. Still, when her head rested against his shoulder, he couldn't help himself from placing a tender kiss to her temples. "But, Time can be rewritten-as you well know, Miss Tyler."

Chuckling weakly, she pushed her aching body further into him. God, she just wanted to have him wrap around her and keep the rest of the sodding universe away. "I missed you so much it hurt. Seems it was a lot worse and a lot longer for you, though. I'm so, so sorry, Doctor."

"Hush now, you impossible thing. Nothing that happened was your fault. I wanted you safe and protected more than just about anything in the universe."

Tears slid down her face as she heard what he couldn't say. He wanted to be able to have her forever but hadn't been able to have her safe while still letting her keep that promise. He cut out one of his hearts and left it to grow old with her in the only gift he thought he had to give. Part of her was furious at his high handed actions, but she'd seen his memories since then and he'd paid a thousand fold for that decision. The guilt of the universe weighed on his shoulders and she'd be damned if she added to that.

Realizing they were still on the floor, the Doctor untangled the dimension cannon and scooped Rose into his arms. She didn't cry out, but he felt her flinch at the slightest jostle as he carried her to the infirmary. The TARDIS had apparently decided to provide exits while he'd been talking. Reaching his destination, he laid Rose on the bed there as carefully as he could.

"I would like to know what just happened. Why did you jump to these coordinates? Something changed the Timelines." He bustled around, wrapping her in a soft blanket. "You talk and I'll run a few tests."

"No needles?" she asked as he pulled a screen over to her side.

His lips twitched as he remembered the conversations they'd always had whenever she ended up needing any kind of medical care. "Rose Tyler, do I look like an amateur? Needles-how barbaric!" He grumbled while attaching a few nodes to her forehead and fingers.

Every part of her body ached, but at least her mind no longer felt like it was going to burn through her skull. In fact, thoughts were beginning to run through her mind at a million kilometers and hour and she felt so…big. Her mind felt unlocked and wondrous. She was suddenly understanding things in ways she never had. There wasn't any giant download or any information that she hadn't already known, but it felt like she'd been looking at one of those Hidden Pictures and finally saw what the eye-painful patterns formed. Technical things the Doctor had tried to teach her came into focus and she abruptly realized how much he'd always slowed down for her.

Swallowing, she focused on answering the Doctor's inquiries.

"I'd been jumping for a while and had landed on Casis VI in the eighty fifth century. I was about to set the cannon and jump back to Pete's world when I heard my name. When I spun around, I was shocked when none other but Captain Jack Harkness snatches me up and about hugs the life out of me."

The Doctor's jaw clenches, but he didn't stop what he was doing. "Let me guess, he realized pretty quickly you were from his past."

Sniffing, she nodded. "Yeah, as soon as he let me go, he couldn't help but see the cannon. He yanked it up and fiddled with it a minute, refusing to answer me. I was about to slap the Hell out of him when he finally decided to talk. Didn't want to say too much, but I could tell something had gone wrong. He was a lot older, and it seemed like it had been forever since he'd last seen me." Her wet gaze drifted to lock on his.

"He told me to give you a message. He told me to tell you that…well, he said you're a self righteous ass, but that being happy doesn't automatically mean being selfish. He said it's not either/or and that you'd know a fixed point when you saw one. Then he hugged me and activated the cannon."

Surprise registered on his face as he moved to her side. "Jack Harkness. Really, I should have known. He's getting entirely too much like me." Shaking himself, the Time Lord touched her cheek. "But, tell me what happened when you got here."

Rose leaned into his hand, drawing comfort in his familiar, loved presence-even with a different face. "You're so much sadder, now," she whispered, tracing his features.

His smile was a pale reflection of what it had been. "I've lived a long time without you. So much more death than when you held my hand."

Dropping her hand, she twined their fingers, finding that they still fit. They would always fit.

"When I crashed into you, I saw those years, Doctor. I saw everything from Canary Wharf until now. I realized what had taken place and then my head felt like it'd been lit on fire. I could hear the TARDIS calling me. When you got to the Heart, the pain in my mind began to stop. It's like the TARDIS unlocked my brain, but my body don't half hurt. Feels like I was ripped apart and pasted back together."

Patting her hand, he placed a small patch on her wrist. "That should take the edge off the pain," he offered and smiled a bit when her relief bled into her thanks.

Running a hand through his hair, the Doctor studied the results of his tests as they began popping up on screen. Rose knew she couldn't read his language, so she simply waited for him to tell her what he'd found. A second later, he stiffened and then grabbed the screen with both hands.

"What?"

Stunned disbelief washed over his face, making him look pretty adorable in Rose's opinion. He read the report again and then ran the tests a second time. After the third, Rose was becoming concerned.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

His mouth snapped closed. "Nothing. Nothing! Rose Tyler, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you."

Her brow furrowed skeptically. "Right, then what's got you in knots? You ran the same tests three times."

He fidgeted and rubbed his neck. "Your results are _normal_ for a…for a _Time Lord_," he stated hoarsely, then scowled. "But, that's not possible! The Vortex and the Heart of the TARDIS control Time. There's no way contact with either could have turned your DNA into TNA. That doesn't make sense!"

All the lights flickered as the TARDIS' song increased in volume. The Doctor glared at the ceiling before another screen flickered to life, drawing his attention. He pounced on the new info, but the blood rapidly drained from his face as he read.

"Impossible," he muttered.

A chime sounded in their minds, sounding extremely smug. Rose shifted nervously and tried to sit up. She couldn't contain her sharp inhale when her body protested bitingly. In a flash, the Doctor was beside her, carefully raising the bed so that she could sit comfortably.

"Don't move, if you can help it," he chided her quietly. "Your entire genetic makeup was just altered; your body's brand new and sore from the transition."

Snagging his hand, she determinedly met his gaze. "Doctor, tell me what's happening. Please."

His face softened as he took in her worried, vulnerable expression. She was so strong, his Rose. Was she still his, after all this time and the harsh truths between them? Lacing their fingers, he sighed in resignation and sat beside her. Finger combing her hair, he tried to process and sort the information he'd received.

"I'm so, so sorry, Rose," he finally managed as his hearts clenched. If she'd never set foot in the TARDIS, she'd be happy and safe in London. She'd probably have married Mickey and lived out the rest of her life without the magnitude of heartache he'd brought her.

Shifting, she rested her head on him. "My Doctor, I'd do everything over again. You're worth it and my choices are my own. Don't cheapen my memories with regret. I've _never_ regretted my time with you." She nudged him slightly as she felt his shaky breath and his feather light kiss in her hair. "Now, spill."

Running a hand down his face, he sighed again. "Like I said before, the Vortex and the Heart couldn't have changed you DNA."

"Like with Margaret," she added, understanding. "Her cells were rewound back to an egg. It didn't change her into something she wasn't."

A smile quirked his lips as he agreed. "Exactly. The TARDIS has admitted to…well…lacing your food and drinks with Time Lord biografts since…since your first trip. When you ran into me and got slapped with my memories-which, come to think of it, she probably had a hand in, too-your mind automatically tried to expand to accommodate the overload of information. When it did, it triggered the change in your body because your human mind couldn't have handled it."

Flabbergasted, Rose attempted to rein in her manic thoughts. "That's why I needed the Heart of the TARDIS-she guided the change and kept me from exploding psychically." Worrying her bottom lip, she pulled back a bit to see his face. "But, whose did she graft? Not yours, surely."

Chuckling, he shook his head. "No, that would be treading a fairly disgusting line, wouldn't it? The old girl has many files of Time Lords at her disposal. She'd have chosen someone suitable and completely not related to me."

And, neither of them really wanted to know more than that. Rose didn't want to live in the shadow of someone and the Doctor would be quite pleased to leave his personal past where it belonged.

"However, Rose, this was never supposed to happen. There are a plethora of fixed points scattered through my years without you. If you go back now, it will be like tiptoeing through a mine field. This will change _everything_ and we can't know if it will be for the better."

When his eyes dropped to hers, he found a level of uncertainty in them that shook him. He'd never seen that in her eyes when she was with him-ever. She'd always had unshakable faith in him-in them. He could practically taste the moment she fortified herself and addressed the issue really at hand. The years without him had given her a bravery he'd not noticed during the Crucible fiasco.

"What do _you_ want, Doctor? Because, I know you can wipe my memory and put a lock on my genetic makeup. I won't know that I can regenerate, so I'll allow myself to grow old and die like a normal human. You can send me back to where I was 'supposed' to go and the past will play out how it did. You know you defeat everything that's thrown at you," she asked lowly.

In that moment, the Time Lord understood precisely what Rose was thinking. He kept sending her away. Every single time she came back to him, but he kept pushing. And now she had a chance to actually give him his forever. If he didn't accept that-didn't accept her after this-then she _wanted_ to forget. She died a little every time he left her and soon nothing of Rose Tyler would remain. Leaving her this time-with a clone of himself as some kind of consolation prize-would break her. Even wiping her memory wouldn't restore that piece of herself. Her subconscious would remember that he'd effectively told her she wasn't wanted, regardless of her sacrifice.

"Or, I could teach you and send you back prepared," he muttered, almost to himself.

Her eyes brightened with hesitant hope. He shouldn't do it. She was safe and happy with his duplicate on the slow path in a world where he couldn't tarnish her. His enemies couldn't touch her there and she could have a family.

But, he was so tired of being alone and having 'acceptable' losses. He'd always loved Rose Tyler-would always love his pink and yellow girl. Asking him to give her up this last time was asking him to accept punishment in the cruelest form.

And he'd always been selfish.

Once he'd decided, Time bowed around them before snapping back into focus more brightly than he'd ever seen. No paradoxes shrieked into existence, no Reapers appeared, and he pondered the idea that this should have happened the first time. The TARDIS certainly thought so.

"What was that?" Rose said in awe. "It's beautiful."

Grinning in a way this body never had, he kissed the back of her hand. "That, my precious, impossible thing, was the Timelines rearranging themselves into the optimal formation. That was me refusing to let you go again."

Tears slid down her cheeks as her eyes closed and she curled helplessly into him. Emotion clogged his throat as his words echoed with finality. He had Rose Tyler _back_ and this time…this time, he was keeping her. This time, he'd destroy whole universes to keep her by his side. This time, he'd be prepared and he'd make certain she was.

They were together in the too smug TARDIS despite impossible odds. Then again, they sort of made a hobby of impossible.

Rose squeezed his hand. "Quite right, too."

* * *

Rose slept for twelve hours before her body felt healed. When she woke, she was surprised to find the Doctor in the chair beside her bed. He'd carried her to her new room (since House had deleted her old one) and settled her in the soft bed. Her head had barely hit the pillow when she'd succumbed to exhaustion. Now, he was scribbling away on a notebook and surrounded by books and pads and bits of technology.

He positively beamed when her eyes opened. Setting aside what he was doing, he leaned forward and pushed her hair back.

"Feeling better?"

Sitting up, she nodded-pleased when her body didn't hurt. "I'd really love a shower," she admitted, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I thought you might say that," he grinned, moving to help her stand. "You have twenty seven senses now instead of the five you're used to. You may be a bit disoriented at first when the TARDIS relaxes her shields around your mind. She's filtering everything a bit at the moment so you have time to prepare yourself."

Curious, Rose braced herself and nodded. "Alright, girl. Do what you need to."

'Disoriented' was the understatement of the century. The TARDIS had brightened her lights and slowly released the shield she'd been holding. When everything flooded in, Rose gasped and would have fallen had the Doctor not been supporting her. And he brought a different wave of feelings because she suddenly felt as though she'd been stumbling blind all her life. Though she was struggling to process everything, she jerked back and sat hard on the bed, panting. She'd been seeing only the edge of the golden swirls she thought might be Time in the infirmary. This was something else entirely.

"Rose?" the Doctor asked, worry in his extraordinarily green eyes.

"Give me a moment," she whispered, blinking hard.

Fidgeting nervously, the older Time Lord clasped his hands to keep from reaching for her. Her face had gone a shade paler and slack with wonder. It transformed into some kind of astounded awe when she slowly raised her eyes to his.

"Dear God," she breathed, wide eyed. Hesitantly, her hand drifted to trace his cheek, prompting small pleasurable electricity to spark where their skin touched. He had to bite back a groan at the feeling.

"If you feel this all the time, no wonder you wear so many layers."

Swallowing, he inclined his head. "I can teach you how to filter it yourself. You're seeing in six dimensions now. Until your mind gets used to it, I'm sure it will only be a distraction."

"And all of this?" she motioned to the air around him, making him cough and blush.

"You can see Time now. This is me in the truest form a being can see without a Marriage Bond."

Shyly, he peeked at her from under the fringe of his downturned head. It had been longer than he cared to remember since someone had been able to see his full self. He hadn't realized how much that exposed him. Humans saw a reflection of themselves and he'd become very good at perpetuating that illusion. The War had given him an abhorrence of truly looking at himself, which made him curious and a bit wary of what Rose could see now.

"This is you?" was asked rhetorically as she continued to study the image before her. Spotting the vulnerable caution in his half hidden eyes, Rose gently touched one of the luminescent swirls connected to him. His lids slid down and a shiver crept down his body.

Her voice was earnest and amazed. "I could spend forever just looking at you."

When he met her gaze in shock, her eyes reflected his image that she could finally see. For perhaps the first time in all his lives, he didn't turn away from it in disgust.

* * *

It turned out that the Doctor had been making lesson plans while she recovered. When she finally finished her shower and stumbled back to her room, she eyed the mountain of work.

"This'll take years," she told him when he spread them out before her.

Taking a seat across from her, he cheerfully agreed. "I'm not going to let this go pear shaped because I was too lazy or too much of a coward to teach you what you need to know."

He refused to screw this miracle up. He had a chance-a trillion to one chance that he knew he'd never get again to make sure the best Timeline happened. The original one had been acceptable only insofar as it saw his enemies thwarted. Timelines were based on choices and there was always one that was the most optimal. If that one wasn't allowed to happen, a person had to make do with other-usually much more painful-ones. What had happened at the Crucible wasn't even the second best choice. Had Rose's biological switch not been flipped, she was still supposed to have stayed with him. Eventually, something _would_ have triggered her change. And, Handy wasn't supposed to happen, either. That damn Dalek had turned right two roads before it should have.

So, he was fixing this.

"And, that won't mess up anything?" Rose continued. "The length of time I stay here, I mean."

The smirk he shot her told her he had everything accounted for-including the shot of _want_ that slammed into her at the frankly hot sight.

Rather yummy, this body.

* * *

Rose worked herself past any semblance of limitations she had as a human. The Doctor-regardless of his ability to find trouble or spark revolutions-had always been a teacher at his core. As the years passed in the Vortex, he found himself in his element. Rose was a fantastic student and was slowly but surely learning to keep up with him. Less and less he had to water down explanations because once she realized she _could_ learn-his girl was like a sponge. She'd never been stupid, but with her increased brain capacity, she _glowed_. The years fell too swiftly as he reveled in having someone who was well on her way to being his intellectual equal.

The new pink and yellow Time Lady blossomed during that time. They still argued on occasion and it wasn't fairy tale perfect as now that she was beginning to understand the world the way he did, she was a formidable opponent in a debate. Sometimes he riled her up just to see her face flush and her argument clash brilliantly with his.

Nightmares plagued him just as they ever had when he hazard to sleep and there was still that mournful, festering darkness inside him. But, he was hopeful in a way that he'd thought long forgotten. Having Rose and this miracle was _real_ and perfectly imperfect and they were _home_ now. He and his TARDIS weren't alone. He'd helped Rose build her mental shields, but all Time Lords were connected a bit telepathically. The aching void in his mind was filled now with a pleasant golden hum. Sometimes it was almost _too_ much.

Rose savored every second with him because as she began to understand Time and the Lines she was seeing, she knew that their small, separate peace was finite. She would have to leave him soon. That thought made her chest hurt and made her doubly determined to make him good, light memories. She didn't know if he would remember this Timeline when she went back, but _she_ would. She'd remember this lonely, broken man that sat in his console room and wondered what the point of living was. She'd remember the complete and utter joy he felt in her presence and the way he tracked her with his eyes. With his last self, she wondered sometimes if they'd made a habit of under appreciating each other. This body never said the words, but she knew that he adored her. If this was what he'd become without her, she refused to continue to make the same mistakes they always had when she got back to his younger self.

Time Lords weren't human and she'd been unable to understand exactly how different they truly were when it came to relationships. Reading about Pythia and Rassilon and the Looms, she finally saw how much he really had been trying when it came to his relationship with her. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to thank the TARDIS enough.

His chiming, lilting language flowed naturally from her mouth now. The Doctor closed his eyes to delight in her chatter as she punched into the console the specs for her own sonic screwdriver. When the sleek, pink tube popped out, Rose grinned and turned it on a moment, revealing a beam of yellow light. Her pride at the creation spilled over in happiness. Turning, she abruptly found herself much closer to her friend than she'd realized. With her senses, though, maybe she had subconsciously. He'd been standing beside her, one hand leaning on the console and angling his body toward her. Breath catching, she slowly allowed her eyes to meet his.

The green was hooded and intense as it captured her completely. Time stretched between them, twining them together in ways she couldn't have understood before. She did now and stood unwavering and open for him.

"Impossible thing," he murmured, shifting until their bodies were centimeters apart.

Rose's lips parted a fraction as their breath mingled and everything inside her ached for him.

There were lines he could not cross yet with her. Time was being rewritten and his younger self would have the privilege of so many of her firsts. But, that him hadn't had to live centuries without her. That him hadn't dipped quite as deeply into his mad darkness as this him had. If everything went according to plan-and it would because he trusted her above everything else-he wouldn't even remember these long bitter years. But right here, right now, he did. He remembered everything and he wanted a small tiny bit of her just for himself.

Lowering his head a bit, he brought his mouth down until he just barely brushed hers. The niche in his mind that was filled with her brightened with happiness and anticipation. Her presence quivered against him, flowing into him with so much love and faith he was nearly brought to his knees. She'd let her shields slip for him.

Then, she whispered one word in his language-just one. It wasn't his hidden name, but he'd chosen it and perhaps after so long it had become his most true self anyways.

"_Doctor_."

And he was lost.

* * *

The day came too quickly that she had to depart from him. He'd spent the entire morning finding things that he absolutely needed her help fixing. She didn't call him on it, but when she stepped into the console room holding the dimension cannon, he knew his time was ending.

Slowly, he took in her appearance-memorizing every minute detail. She'd taken to wearing a pale pink button down with long sleeves and brown trousers. Her trainers had been traded for low running boots from the sixty second century. She'd lost her pleather coat, but had bigger on the inside pockets. Blonde hair-natural now-had been pulled back in a loose plait. His favorite part, however, was the tasteful tweed vest she wore.

Not for the first time, he felt a ping of satisfaction at how well they matched. She refused to wear a fez, but still. She was taking a visible piece of him with her.

"I have to go," she told him and he could hear the agonized reluctance in her words.

"I know," he answered because he _did_.

"I love you."

A small, brilliant smile lit the shadows on his face. "Quite right, too."

He pulled her close, cherishing the feel of her. "My hearts, you are going to be _fantastic_. Remember, don't touch the fixed points. Our theories should work, but walk away if they don't. We won't be able to save _everyone_, but maybe we can save _someone_."

She'd heard this a thousand times, but he needed to say it. He needed to know he was sending her back as prepared as he could make her. Their entire future rested on her ability to keep the Timelines from fraying. He figured that they couldn't be in better hands.

Drawing back, he took in her beloved features once more. "I won't be the same, even as the me that lost you the first time."

Giggling, she held his hand against her face as his thumb caressed her cheek. "It'll be a learning curve, yeah? We'll figure it out. We always do."

Emotion filled his eyes and stole his words, so he tipped her head to press a lingering kiss on her brow. Feeling hot liquid spill over his hands, he suddenly knew exactly what to say. Meeting her wet gaze, he gave her a gentle smile.

"It's a human thing, I know and completely foreign to Time Lords-having to vocalize feelings so much."

"Yeah, being able to really show someone how you feel makes words pretty paltry by comparison," she agreed with a sniff, wondering from where that thought had sprung.

His eyes were warm as he shrugged. "Yes. But, you were human and part of your mind will always think on that frequency. It'll make you a formidable person, Rose Tyler. And, my younger self will never tell you. When this plan comes to pass, it is most likely that _I_ will never tell you."

Confused, she held his hands and tightened her grip supportively. "What is it?"

Leaning forward, he brought his mouth until his lips just brushed the shell of her ear. "_I love you_," he told her in his wonderful language that had tenses meaning an unbreakable forever.

Shakily, she hugged him tightly. "I knew. Thank you, Doctor. That means…you don't ever have to say it again. You didn't have to say it now. But, _thank you_."

She'd come to understand so much, but the Doctor understood Rose Tyler. Regardless of what she said or believed, he knew he _did_ need to tell her-just once. She would have never asked for it in this new Timeline, but he remembered the original and her shattered eyes when he refused her a last time on that damned beach. Things wouldn't be easy with his younger self at first when the joy at their reunion faded. She was going to have to make him treat her as an equal and weather some spectacular idiocy, he'd wager. Those words he'd given her would stay with her and give her strength when the other him faltered. It was what she needed and in turn would open the door for her to give him what he needed.

"Time to change the world, Rose Tyler," he said hoarsely as she stepped toward the door, feeling the TARDIS materialize.

Taking the cannon, he punched in the coordinates she would need and met her eyes one last time. "_I believe in you_."

Wiping her face, she lifted her chin proudly. "And I believe in you, Doctor. I'll see you soon."

Stepping out the door, she took a breath, met his eyes, and disappeared in a flash of bright light.

* * *

**AN: **I know I should be working on Helix, but my muse is being extraordinarily difficult with it right now. She's a bit in love with Eleven, I think and bothered me until I wrote this. I have a sort of epilogue for it, but I'm not sure if you readers would like it, or if the story ends well enough here. Also, I'm toying with the idea of writing what happens when Ten reunites with a fully trained Time Lady Rose, but let me know if that's something you would even be interested in reading. I'd focus more on their relationship than rewrites. I hope you like this! Whovians are viciously loyal (as my husband is finding out since I introduced him to the Doctor) and I hope I didn't step on too many toes. I got the biograft idea from Ood Sigma and ran with it.

Loves!

Arella


	2. Epilogue

**AN: **Just a bit of epilogue because a few of you said you wouldn't mind reading it. It's not nearly as heavy, but I like happy endings. (Which means you've probably figured out I _don't_ own DW, lol.) On what happens with Ten, we'll see what my muse feels like spinning. She's pretty enamored of Eleven, so I don't know if she'll do it. I'll keep poking her, though. I hope you all like this; you've been so supportive and kind in your reviews. Thank you so much!

* * *

Green eyes snapped open to meet the glowing swirls of his bedroom ceiling. Panting, the Doctor tried to calm his mind and remember what he'd been dreaming. A soft body shifted against his, snuggling more closely to him. Confused, he looked down to find a curtain of honey hair spilled across his arm and a familiar face pillowed on his shoulder.

A kitten sound escaped her as she blearily opened her eyes and looked up. "What's wrong? Your thoughts are all over the place."

Gaping, he stared at her before the memories rushed back to him. They'd done it. Rose had gone back and now she was here again with him. In his bed. Naked, if his senses were correct.

A saucy grin crept over her face as she picked up on the direction of his mind. "I thought I'd worn you out, you dirty old man."

Laughing incredulously, he sorted through his memories as the Timelines settled around him. "You just want me for my oral fixation," he teased, running a hand down her side.

"I do appreciate that carrying over to this body, yes," she agreed as she slid on top of him. "We have an hour before we have to go make sure Jack is on Casis VI and you have a date with my younger self."

The original Timeline began to blur, like those that weren't followed tend to do. He could remember it, but the memories of what had now happened took prominence. As Rose leaned down to capture his lips in deep, wonderful kiss, he relaxed and poured himself into worshipping her the way that other him had so desperately wanted.

The TARDIS hummed happily to herself as all her hard work came to fruition. Her thief was happy, her wolf was home and they had all of Time and Space to explore. Enormously pleased, she turned her attention to other matters as her people reaffirmed their feelings for each other. Rumbling pleasantly, she set a course for Casis VI to close the paradox loop. After that, well, she had a few ideas.

They had plenty of options and she might even let him drive this time. Pausing at that thought, she psychically winced. Well, probably not, but still. Their life was made for running and she'd finally stolen someone for him that could keep up.

Rose sent a mental thanks to her sentient friend before the Doctor rolled them and captured her attention completely. Bond flaring brightly, they lost themselves in each other.


End file.
